Zuzu Restaurant

ZuZu is the signature restaurant of Scottsdale's Hotel Valley Ho, one of the most celebrated mid-century modern hotels in the American Southwest. The hotel was designed in 1956 by Frank Lloyd Wright protégé Edward Varney and has been painstakingly restored to its original Googie-inflected splendour, and ZuZu's poolside terrace dining is an extension of that glamorous vision. The menu is contemporary American with strong local sourcing: Arizona-raised beef, seasonal desert vegetables, and regional cheeses appear across breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner menus that change with the seasons. The Valley Ho burger — a thick patty with white cheddar on a brioche bun — has acquired a following beyond the hotel's own guest list. ZuZu fish tacos and the prickly pear margarita are equally emblematic of the Arizona dining experience the kitchen aims for. The poolside terrace, surrounded by mid-century cabanas and the hotel's dramatic curved pool, is one of the best alfresco dining settings in Scottsdale on mild evenings. Craft cocktails are consistently excellent, with a programme that balances classic formulations with local botanical twists. Hotel guests can dine poolside; outside visitors are warmly welcomed in the main restaurant and at the bar. Reservations for dinner are recommended during Scottsdale's October–May peak season.